Kassandra of Sparta

Kassandra (453 BC-) was a Spartan mercenary (misthios) who fought in the Peloponnesian War. She was the maternal great-granddaughter of Leonidas I of Sparta, the step-daughter of Spartan general Nikolaos of Sparta, and the illegitimate daughter of Pythagoras, and she became known as one of the fiercest warriors and mercenaries of ancient Greece.

Early life
Kassandra was born in Sparta in 453 BC, the illegitimate daughter of Pythagoras by Myrrine, the granddaughter of King Leonidas I. Her descent from Leonidas was acknowledged by her stepfather, the general Nikolaos of Sparta, who often trained her in the hope that she would follow in her ancestor's footsteps as a great warrior and leader. In 446 BC, the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi prophesied that Kassandra's newborn younger brother Alexios would bring about the fall of Sparta in the future, so the citizens of Sparta demanded that Alexios be sacrificed to the Gods by being thrown off Mount Taygetos. As the priest Demetrios Peris prepared to sacrifice Alexios, Kassandra - who was persuaded by her mother's wailing and begging for Alexios' life - rushed up to Peris and attempted to save her brother. However, she accidentally pushed both of them to their apparent deaths, leading to Sergios Livas calling for Kassandra to be executed as a traitor. The Spartan crowd demanded that Nikolaos push his own daughter off the cliff, and, although Myrrine begged Nikolaos to not listen to the crowd, he reluctantly pushed her off the cliff to her apparent death as lightning struck nearby.